More than 150 people packed into the tiny venue – some even had to peer through the canteen hatch or listen from the front door – to learn how best to tackle the threat.

The proposed £12.3 billion high-speed route – known as HS2 – aims to slash 20 minutes off travel times between Birmingham and London Euston to just 41 minutes by 2026.

The line would enter Warwickshire near Sutton Coldfield and continue down 35 miles from the western edge of Coventry, from Hampton-in-Arden to Southam.

In Burton Green it would utilise part of the disused Kenilworth to Berkswell track that runs behind Hodgetts Lane, and could involve the demolition of up to 20 houses.

Action group organiser Jerry Marshall – whose own property is under threat – told residents they could not rely on emotion alone to overturn the plans, and instead urged them to develop sound economic and business arguments.

He said: “Our argument needs to be wider than just our anger or concern over this particular patch of land.”

For example, he said the government was wrong to assume three times as many people would use the line compared to the existing West Coast Main Line.

And he added that if the maximum speed was reduced to 186mph, more route options would be available, including ones with more curves.

But if all else failed, he said, the village should press for mitigating features, such as noise-reducing tunnels, or even compensation.